Bioinspired Bottlebrush Polymers Effectively Alleviate Frictional Damage Both In Vitro and In Vivo.

Bottlebrush polymers (BB) have emerged as compelling candidates for biosystems to face tribological challenges, including friction and wear. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of an engineered triblock BB polymer's affinity, cell toxicity, lubrication, and wear protection in both in vitro and in vivo settings, focusing on applications for conditions like osteoarthritis and dry eye syndrome. Results show that the designed polymer rapidly adheres to various surfaces (e.g., cartilage, eye, and contact lens), forming a robust, biocompatible layer for surface lubrication and protection. The tribological performance and biocompatibility are further enhanced in the presence of hyaluronic acid (HA) both in vitro and in vivo. The exceptional lubrication performance and favorable interaction with HA position the synthesized triblock polymer as a promising candidate for innovative treatments addressing deficiencies in bio-lubricant systems.

Multicompartment Micro- and Nanoparticles Using Supramolecular Assembly of Core-Shell Bottlebrush Polymers.

Multicompartment particles have been produced to date by the self-assembly of linear multiblock polymers. Besides the large diversity of structures that can be obtained with this approach, these are highly sensitive to dilution and environmental factors. Here we show that using core-shell bottlebrush polymers with a hydrophobic polyester core as starting materials it is possible to create compartmentalized particles from the micrometer size down to the molecular scale. These polymers can be used as building blocks to create multicompartment particles and networks via a self-assembly process. The polymers can encapsulate active compounds and slowly degrade in water into polymeric micelles, making them promising materials for drug delivery applications.